616 
NATURE 
[ Oct. 28, 1886 
| 
MM. inunguis being apparently confined to the upper | 
waters of the Amazon and Orinoco ; but we cannot say | 
that we are quite satisfied with the supercession of Cuvier’s 
name for that of Harlan. 
The work is illustrated by twenty excellent coloured 
plates by Wolf, Keulemans, and Smit, representing new 
or little-known species. We cannot conclude our notice 
without again expressing our admiration for the scientific | 
enthusiasm and public spirit shown by Messrs. Godman 
and Salvin in the manner in which they are carrying out 
their great undertaking. Walar. 
PACKARD’S “ FIRST LESSONS IN ZOOLOGY” 
First Lessons in Zoology, adapted for Use in Schools, 
By A. S. Packard, M.D., Ph.D., Professor of Zoology | 
and Geology in Brown University. American Science 
Series, Elementary Course. (New York: Henry Holt 
and Company, 1886.) 
@ = of the principal objects of the American Science 
Series, we are told, is to supply “authoritative 
books the principles of which are, so far as is practical, 
illustrated by familiar American facts.” Another “lack” 
intended to be supplied by the series is that of text-books 
which “ do not a¢ east contradict the latest generalisa- 
tions.” Whatever success Dr. Packard may have attained 
in the first of these objects, we fear he has not always 
kept clear of the many pitfalls into which writers of com- 
pilations in any branch of science are in these days nearly 
sure to stumble. Some of his statements are certainly 
in contradiction to the latest generalisations of zoological 
science. 
On p. 28 we find, in the account of A/7//epora, two forms of 
zooids, distinguished as “nutritive” and “reproductive.” 
The so-called “ reproductive” zooid is nothing of the kind, | 
but simply a tentacle-bearing zooid unprovided with mouth | 
and stomach, Its function is to assist the nutritive or 
gastro-zooids in obtaining nutrition, by directing small 
particles of food towards the latter. Of the reproduction 
of Millepora nothing is yet certainly known, but Prof. 
Moseley has suggested that it may probably give off a 
free-swimming Medusa. 
Again our author, in enunciating the differences of 
animals and plants, states (p. 6) that plants “inhale car- | 
bonic acid gas, and exhale oxygen,” and that animals do 
just the reverse. This seductive and oft-repeated anti- 
thesis is unfortunately not strictly accurate. Both plants 
and animals inhale oxygen and exhale carbonic acid gas. 
But in the case of the chlorophyll-bearing plants this 
process is obscured by an opposite process, by means of | 
which the carbonic acid gas (CO,) is broken up into its 
constituent elements, the carbon (C) is absorbed into 
the plant, and the oxygen (O,) is set free. This 
process is, however, rather a nutritive than a respiratory 
process. 
Speaking of Amphiorus (p. 139) Dr. Packard states 
that the water after passing through the gill-slits “enters | 
the general body-cavity.” This is an error: the water 
enters the Pertbranchial cavity—a perfectly distinct struc- 
ture of quite different origin. Nor has Amphioxrus “two 
eye-spots,” but only one. 
In the chapter (XXIII.) upon the “Lung-fish” (scr. 
Lung-/shes), the African Protopterus annectens seems to 
| have been mixed up with Polypterus bichir, which does 
not belong to this order at all. The former fish is 
correctly figured (p. 168), but is named VPolypterus 
just above, and is stated to be found in the “ Nile,” 
which is the case with Polypterus, but not with Pro- 
topterus. 
| These inaccuracies occur to us as we turn over the leaves 
of the “ First Lessons in Zoology”: we fear it would not be 
| difficult to find others. We must also say that the wood- 
cuts are mostly of coarse execution, and not always well 
drawn. On the other hand, it may be allowed that as 
great, or greater, faults might be found with every other 
attempt that has yet been made to supply a school-book 
of zoology. Weare not acquainted with a really satis- 
factory work of this kind. A good text-book of zoology 
for beginners has still to be written. In the meanwhile, 
Dr. Packard’s “first lessons,” although going rather too 
deeply into certain portions of the subject, may be use 
fully employed for this purpose, without fear of teaching 
much that will have to be unlearnt. 
OUR BOOK SHELF 
Russland: Einrichtungen, Sitten, und Gebrduche. 
schildert von Friedrich Meyer von Waldeck. 
Die Schweiz. Von Prof. Dr. J. J. Egli. (Leipzig: G. 
Freytag, 1886.) 
Ge- 
| THESE volumes are amongst the latest of that encyclo- 
| paeedic work, “ Das Wissen der Gegenwart,” which has 
now passed its fiftieth volume. Although, so far as the 
publication has at present gone, there are more volumes 
devoted to popular descriptions of countries than to any 
‘other, yet general scientific subjects are by no means 
unrepresented. Thus, volumes have appeared on meteor- 
| ology ; insects, useful and injurious ; the sun and planets; 
comets and meteors; electricity and its applications ; 
the nourishment of plants ; sound; the ocean, &c., &c. 
The series is progressing rapidly, we are glad to see, 
_ with very short intervals between the successive volumes, 
from which it is to be presumed that the undertaking is 
meeting with the success which it deserves amongst the 
German people, although, we regret to believe, it would 
ruin any publisher who projected and attempted to carry 
out a series of this scope and magnitude in this country. 
In both of the volumes before us the work appears 
to be done as thoroughly as the space admits. Herr 
Meyer von Waldeck’s book is the second part of a work 
on Russian laws, customs, and manners, and specially 
deals with the system of administration, and national 
defence, the church and clergy, and the grades of society. 
Prof. Egl’s account of Switzerland contains a large 
amount of information compressed with much skill into 
a very small space. It is not merely a tourist’s book, 
although the tourist who would not take a more intel- 
ligent interest in Switzerland after having read it must 
know a good deal about the country ; it is an excellent 
account of Switzerland which might be read with instruc- 
' tion even by persons who never look forward to seeing 
that country. The first paragraph of the first chapter 
deals with the Urzezt, or prehistoric period; the last 
| chapter in the book sketches the history of the St. 
Gothard railway. The numerous excellent illustrations 
must add largely to the attractiveness and popularity of 
the series, which, however, the books well deserve on 
| more substantial grounds. 
light and heat ; the fixed stars ; the earth and the moon; 
Py Ue Ke oy 
